Loch Leven nature reserve

We visited the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) nature reserve at Loch Leven today and I was able to learn that the bird of prey we saw yesterday was a male sparrowhawk. The nature reserve at Loch Leven is a fantastic place for a visit and the RSPB centre in particular is very good with lots of walks, a shop, a café and toilets. The food at the café was surprisingly good. We just got rolls but they were on seeded, wholemeal bread and they had a good selection of vegan food with the most amazing vegan desserts.

There are birds in abundance around the loch and it’s an important nesting site for migratory birds. I was again impressed by the recognition of how important it is to allow wildflowers to grow rather than mowing everything. Insects need the wildflowers while the small birds need the insects and the birds of prey like sparrowhawks need the small birds. Get rid of the wildflowers with too much obsessive mowing and the whole ecosystem collapses.

This is a carpark by the loch in Kinross. Some people will complain that it looks messy but I maintain that this is more attractive than just grass or hard landscaping.

The nature reserve has the first bumble bee sanctuary in the world and Elizabeth loved it. She’s an insect aficionado.

This is Loch Leven Castle in the next photo which is on an island in the middle of the loch. Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned here for almost a year from 1567-68. You can take a boat out there to have a look.

You can cycle all the way around the loch and even charge an e-bike at the RSPB visitor centre. I was very impressed with how well it’s all managed and definitely recommend the RSPB visitor centre as a great place to visit.